Public Statements

Kerry: Kagan DADT Critics Need to Look at the Facts

Statement

Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.) today released a statement after meeting in his Washington, D.C. office with Solicitor General and United States Supreme Court Justice Nominee Elena Kagan:

"I had a terrific meeting with the Solicitor General this morning which reinforced my conviction that she deserves a fair and swift confirmation process in the Senate and that her nomination should draw bi-partisan support just as it did when she was confirmed as Solicitor General," said Senator Kerry.

"We had a candid, wide-ranging discussion, and specifically explored the criticism she's faced over Harvard's protest of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy during her time as Dean of Harvard Law School. She affirmed to me that military recruiters were always allowed on campus, and conducted interviews right on the grounds in Cambridge. As a veteran and a lawmaker who opposed the ban that many Ivy League schools instituted on military recruiting and ROTC programs, when I heard the facts from Elena Kagan I was absolutely reassured of her commitment to those in military service. This was evident by the support she personally gave to many military veterans studying at Harvard, veterans who supported her confirmation as Solicitor General and now support her confirmation for the Supreme Court.

"After our meeting, I'm even more convinced that the Solicitor General has deeply held respect and regard for all those who serve in uniform and that as Dean she hoped that more, not fewer, students would be given the opportunity to serve their country."